Slow down we're sailing...

iangrant

iangrant

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Slow down we\'re sailing...

We had a lovely sail back from Cowes, and motored gently through the racing dinghys at the bottom of the Emsworth channel, all waving and big smiles, the sun was out the world was happy.

Then, as we continue up to swear deep, a channel about 10 metres across, this wayfarer sails up from behind and starts to close in on us "slow down" he screams, "I am slowing down" I replied, then again he screams "Slow down, we're sailing"..
I reply, "I am almost stopped and you are overtaking and in fact now impeading the progress of a vessel on a fairway"
He then tacked away across the enourmous expanse of water outside the channel.
.
Pratt


Ian
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

'Mornin' Ian

Likwewise we had a great sail back to Portsmouth, but what you said about the Wayfarer reminded me that years back i had a similar event with one of these...

After having been forced to tack in my old Folkboat by numerous racing dinghies regardless of right of way, I finally got totally peed off... and the next port tack dinghy who developed hearing failure and looked the other way, found me sailing over his stern... that got his attention quick enough.

Regds Nick
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

How did you know his name?

There's loads of the same family up here.
We were sailing near a dinghy race the other weekend and I was sailing further off the wind than I intended, on starboard tack, to avoid a mark to my windward.
A guy in an RS200 sailing downwind, towards me, went deliberately very wide of the mark to make sure he came close to us. Shook his fist, went about, and got caught in stays. "Serve him right, I thought."
The rest of the fleet had passed the mark and us with no bother at all, before him (he was trailing quite a bit).

I guess he was also from the family Pratt.
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

Ian,
I can't apologise for all the dinghy sailors in the harbour, but I can say that I made sure we set our race course outside the buoyed channel - even then we had a few yachts & mobos that decided to cut the corner - right across our start line - luckily there was no incidents with the racers.
It is a bit of a shame that some dinghy sailors can't read the water they are sailing into and avoid a lot of the situations they get themselves into....
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

By contrast our club race on Saturday took us through the Sigma 33 starting area where they were all milling about between races. We were on port tack and I expected all sorts of trouble but they were gentlemen without exception.
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

Its no consolation, but several times in Cowes week, we have been motoring slowly and been told to get out of the way by sailing vessels overtaking. What really made me cross was that one was a competiter run by a sailing school. Most were not racing at the time.

IRPCS: Overtaking rule takes precedence over the Power-sail rule.

Racing Rules: IRPCS takes precedence over the Racing Rules. (Actually, I seem to remember the wording goes something like ' Nothing in these rules shall....)

Of course most of us try to stay out of the way of racing fleets - but no matter what size your boat, you should know what rule to obey...
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

On the bank holiday weekend I stood on to a vessel, I was on starboard tack, but I could'nt understand why I got a dirty look has he went around the back of us, I gave a friendly wave, 'thank you'.

Then the horror can over me, he was also on starboard, but I was windward! I was the pratt! Hell you feel stupid when you realise.

So if you are out there reading this, sorry!
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

motoring peacfully through Poole Harbour Sat to go fishing we had a windsurfer seemingly take aim at us from some way away. Came flying up to us and started yelling wake !- here we go I though getting ready to 'engage' as we were at 6 knots and making none at all! Turned out conditions were too strong for him to head out of the harbour and he wondered if we wouldn't mind kicking up a bit of wake for him to play on!!!!! 9 knots gave him a lot of fun for 5 minutes back and forward like a wakeboarder behind the boat.

Ah well - glad to make someone happy.
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

No need to appologise - most of the time dinghy sailors are OK in the harbour - it just pees me off when they scowl and swear at fellow sailors, sad really, I was always polite and kept out of the channels when I sailed one..

Ian
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

[ QUOTE ]
it just pees me off when they scowl and swear at fellow sailors

[/ QUOTE ] Suppose it's ok for them to do it to mobo's though /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

Yea fair point - make that fellow boaters if you like - I often feel for the Mobo's at Itchenor doing emergency stops 'cause some d*ckhead in a dinghy darts across the channel..

Ian
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

In the scheme of things and considering (in my opinion) the ambiguity of the ColRegs (opens can of worms), the amount of "conflict" between water users is not worth worrying about. More likely to get a wave of a fellow water user than a cuss.
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

Amazing how classes change over time Sigma 33s were. in their heyday, considered the lager louts of sailing. Now undoubtedly the gents. Marvellous!
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

It's not only dinghies. Last season I was shouted at by a keelboat racer for being anchored in his way. We had been there for 24 hours and were about 3/4 mile from the nearest racing mark. Perhaps the fact that he was tail end Charlie and the rest of the fleet had passed by 15mins before, was significant.
Dan
 
Racing Rules ...

If you are agreived by someone who is racing you can protest them.

Rule 69.1 - When a protest committee, from its own observation or a report received from any source, believes that a competitor may have committed a gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, or may have brought the sport into disrepute, it may call a hearing. The protest committee shall promptly inform the competitor in writing of the alleged misconduct and of the time and place of the hearing.
 
Re: Slow down we\'re sailing...

A couple of years ago, while picking up a mooring under sail, I had this problem with a racing dinghy that wouldn't give way (tacks as appropriate). We were both moving so slowly I had time to walk down the deck and tell him he had to give way, which in fairness he did! The trouble is, if I hadn't followed the rules and done what was expected neither of us would have had any idea what to expect next, which is why there are rules.
 
Re: Racing Rules ...

After being hit by three dinghies booms (belted pulpit trying to cut course, we were on a mooring) in Aberdovey last year, I went over to the club to lodge an official complaint and lodge a protest.

I was brushed off, is there a proper way to do this!
 
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